Dinnar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Dinnar

What does the name Dinnar mean?

Dinnar is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dinnar family lived in Northumberland. The family are descended in England from the Norman House of Baron Foulke de Dinan, whose surname translates as from Dinan. The name Dinnar derives from the abbreviated form Dinan.

Early Origins of the Dinnar family

The surname Dinnar was first found in Northumberland where they were granted lands by William the Conqueror, and were Companions in Arms to the Lords of Mitford and Bothal. Sir Alain Dinan was the scion of this family. In Brittany he was descended from Baron Foulke de Dinan, and the family still retained the Barony in Brittany from 1295 to 1509. The name in England became Dinner, Diner, and Dinar.

Early History of the Dinnar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dinnar research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dinnar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dinnar Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Dinan, Dinner, Diner, Dinar and others.

Early Notables of the Dinnar family

More information is included under the topic Early Dinnar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dinnar family to Ireland

Some of the Dinnar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dinnar family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Dinnar or a variant listed above: Christiana, Frederick, Peter and Juliana Dinner who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1764; George Dinner settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1834.